| Frequently Asked Questions |
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First: If you ride a bike, for health, environmental, or financial reasons, downtown riding is often terrifying. Bicycles need dedicated lanes on the road so they're safe and so that the slower pathways are also safe. the The Bow River Flow will help show that cars aren't the only transportation on our roads. In the 2006 study, a quarter of cyclists had been in an accident in the past two years. Second: Another reason for this event to be on the road is that Memorial can handle 3,000 cars\hr and on a sunday there are 850\hr. There's a cyclist every seven seconds at busy times on the pathways and our neighbourhood is one of the busiest. Sunday is the day of lightest traffic on Memorial Dr. While the paths are jammed with platoons of 30 at a time running clubs (hats off to them!), Memorial Dr. is least used of any day of the week. We've got dog walkers, roller bladers and skaters all sharing the pathway with strollers and toddlers. Third: Memorial Drive is beautiful now and only going to get better. Calgarians are proud of the Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall and the Bow River Flow adds a non-commercialized pedestrian mall to the list of Calgary's events. We're looking forward to seeing dogs dressed up as clowns and little kids dressed up as superheros and fairies marching together down Memorial Dr. Finally: This event will get more Calgarians out on our pathways encouraging us all to get some sun, stay fit, and visit with neighbours. Our organizing committee is made up of Hillhurst-Sunnyside residents with a few participants from the community association, Sunnyside School parent council, and other groups. There have been 45 planning participants and are currently 15 committee participants. Arusha is the organizational sponsor. Arusha is known for creating Sustainable Calgary, and Calgary Dollars, the city's complementary currency system, and initiating carsharing in the city. In Sunnyside, Arusha began carsharing, C$ accepted by businesses in kensington and at the community association. Arusha has hosted a monthly potluck at Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association for 12 years and has been supportive of the bylaw to phase out the cosmetic use of pesticides. Arusha's community granting program has suppported a Sunnyside mandala art project along with numerous other grants for community projects. For the Arusha Centre, the Bow River Flow is an event to encourage Calgarians to get out of their cars more often. Cars are a North American icon that need reconsidering. In 2004, 622 people died from homicide in Canada while 2,730 people died in car accidents, that's not even considering serious injuries. Add in health and environmental reasons and it's clear we should work toward being car free. The Bow River Flow will be a family and transportation oriented event to enjoy the Bow River Valley. It is also a recognition of our determination to create a healthy, vibrant, sustainable city. It's part of Calgary's vision that promotes active modes of travel, getting on my bike instead of in my car. It is a coming-out event for the newly designed Memorial Drive Parkway. It is also an opportunity for all Calgarians to remember those for whom the Parkway has been named. The Bow River Flow will not compete with the great festivals already taking place in our city. It is an occasion to celebrate healthy active lifestyles - a non-commercialized, non-motorized celebration where one day of the week we share the road and allow excess lanes to be enjoyed by people in a safe, car-free environment. We ask that you do not drive to this event, our goal is to enjoy a sunday afternoon on our pathways. Ride your bike, jog, or take transit, and if you need to drive, park either in the downtown core or a distant parking lot and ride to the site. Our neighbourhood doesn't need more cars! |
| Last Updated on Friday, 31 July 2009 21:58 |